Score Sweet Miami-Themed Playlists From the Standard Hotel

The Standard Miami's always had a little swag about it. Whenever we go there we know we'll be able to relax and let loose, and somehow just stepping through the doors of any of their four branches (Hollywood, Downtown LA, New York, or our very own Miami Beach spa) makes us feel slightly cooler.

So, naturally, it was only a matter of time before they decided to bank on this mix of creative-meets-local-energy-and-concerts, and come up with something for music enthusiasts: StandardCulture.com.
The brains behind the Standard have taken to the Tumblr platform to cover local art, culture, design, and music, along with some original content. They're using guest bloggers, the voices of Stand D'arde -- the anonymous voice of the Standards -- and more to provide us with cultural perspectives and news from Miami (and their other cities, too). You can shop for art, scope a city guide, guest video booth, and the main blog that has quirky stuff like "graphic of the day" and "secret travel items," but what really caught our eye (and more improtantly, our ears) was Standard Sounds.

It's a curated collection of free downloadable playlists tailored to each of the Standards, and it's updated regularly. We checked it out, and this month's set list includes stuff from Caribou, Thievery Corporation, Active Child, and Yeasayer. We caught up with Lucy McIntire, the VP of Communications at Andre Balazs Properties, to see why exactly StandardCulture.com was created, and what we can expect from the site and upcoming playlists. Check out what she had to say below, along with the latest Standard Sounds playlist.

New Times: How'd you come up with the idea for StandardCulture.com?

Lucy McIntyre: The Standards have such varied programming and have consistently supported and provided a location for a diverse culture of events across the cities of New York, Los Angeles and Miami. It was time to create a central hub for all such information pertaining to the lifestyle of the hotels.

Who picks out what songs go on Miami's playlist?

A combined effort with our events team who book our DJs and music programming and our editors.

What kind of cultural news can someone find on StandardCulture.com? Will there be any local music news, too?

The site provides up to date news on events taking place both at the hotels and in the cities they are in, whether it be a city wide event such as South Beach or New York Wine and Food Festival, or local coverage such as Bingo night, a special yoga retreat or an art installation.

How often will it be updated?

The site is updated daily, the music playlists are updated monthly, and when guests book a room at the hotels they receive a free download of a song that will be updated weekly.